Base Camp: ASO Basics

If you’re reading this, it means you want to learn how to optimize App Store pages to get more organic traffic and installs without investing more in user acquisition.

Over the next two weeks, you will be receiving letters about App Store Optimization. We will show you how to optimize every app page element and A/B test and to analyze and scale results.

If you follow these ASO tactics, we guarantee that you’ll increase app conversions and organic traffic—in two weeks.

Is ASO a game changer?

Yes, it is! For most companies, a growth in app installs follows an increased app marketing budget. Yet, neither a startup nor a big company can actually afford to invest money in a leaking bucket. While low conversion is the main budget killer, App Store optimization is key to maximizing ROI.

Judge for yourself: Angry Birds got 2.5 million more installs in just a week by optimizing screenshots. Prisma became number one on the App Store because they’d been A/B testing page elements since the beginning and found combinations to drive organic users. The MSQRD app acquired 16 million users in three months with zero marketing budget. Thoughtful ASO is behind this success.

ASO in action

App developers dream about free users that show a high retention rate and lifetime value. According to Apple, 63% of all traffic comes from organic search—and probably 90% of that is quality users.

The reality is that potential users compare your app with competing ones throughout their journey and can bounce when they:

• Browse Search results.

• Browse a Category.

• See your Search Ads ad.

• Appear on the App landing page.

The key is in reducing a bounce rate on each step, and App Store Optimization helps you do so. ASO allows you to improve your app’s visibility in app stores and make inbound traffic convert into users. There is a bunch of elements to optimize:

• Keywords: Do people expect to see your app when they search for a keyword?

• Name: Do you rank first for your exact app name?

• Icon: Is your icon easily recognizable?

• Screenshots: Can users understand what an app does by looking at the screenshots?

• Video preview: Does your video give an idea of what your app has to offer?

• Rating & Reviews: Do you have a rating for your app’s current version in all key markets?

That said, while ASO is the cheapest way to drive installs, a one-time icon change won’t bring any significant results. A crucial point about ASO is that it is an ongoing process. Once started in the early stages, it continues with keyword tracking and rotation and on-page element A/B testing.

The next time

We will talk about a tool that can either boost or ruin organic traffic: keywords. There are only five keyword tactics that can help you drive more organic users—learn about them in the next letter.